1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Stadion, Johann Philipp Karl Joseph

STADION, JOHANN PHILIPP KARL JOSEPH (1763–1824), Austrian statesman, entered the diplomatic service and rose early to a high position. In 1790–1793 he was ambassador in London. After some years of retirement he was entrusted (1800) with a mission to the Prussian court, where he endeavoured in vain to effect an alliance with Austria. He had greater success as envoy at St Petersburg, where he played a large part in the formation of the third coalition against Napoleon (1805). Notwithstanding the failure of this alliance he was made foreign minister, and in conjunction with the archduke Charles pursued a policy of quiet preparation for a fresh trial of strength with France. In 1808 he abandoned the policy of procrastination, and with the help of Metternich hastened the outbreak of a new war. The unfortunate results of the campaign of 1809 compelled his resignation, but in 1813 he was commissioned to negotiate the convention which finally overthrew Napoleon. The last ten years of his life were spent in a strenuous and partly successful attempt to reorganize the disordered finances of his country.

See A. Beer, Zehn Jahre österreichischer Politik, 1801–1810 (Leipzig, 1877); Die Finanzen Oesterreichs im 19 Jahrhundert (Prague, 1877); Krones, Zur Geschichte Oesterreichs, 1792–1816 (Gotha, 1886).